Liquor Plays Role In Assault Case

Court Records Say Beatings Followed Refusal By Pair To Join In Birthday Celebration

June 04, 2002|By BILL LEUKHARDT; Courant Staff Writer

NEW BRITAIN — Two men were beaten in an East Street parking lot because they refused a drunken rugby player's demand that they swill rum with him to celebrate his 21st birthday, court records state.

The attack at 2 a.m. March 17 outside an apartment building at 1400 East St. left one man with facial cuts and the other with a nose broken in two places, a missing tooth and several chipped teeth, records state.

On Monday, the cases of two students charged with third-degree assault and breach of peace in the attack were on the docket in New Britain Superior Court.

Police concluded that as many as four Central Connecticut State University students may have taken part in the attack. Court records identify two other men as attackers, but it wasn't clear Monday whether either man had been charged.

The cases of Gene DiGiovanni, 21, of 152 Christian St., Oxford, and Mitchell Baird, 20, of 112 Wilcox St., New Britain, were in court. Court records identify DiGiovanni as a member of the CCSU rugby team.

Their cases were continued until July 9. Both are free on $5,000 bail.

Police said the unprovoked attack occurred an hour after the four had been asked to leave a party because of their behavior, court records state.

Witnesses told police that the two victims did nothing to provoke the attack and didn't throw a punch. Some of the attackers punched the pair in the head while others kicked them in the back and ribs from behind, records state.

Police said retaliation was the motive. Witnesses said the attackers were angry that they'd been asked to leave the private party and because of refusal of their insistence that others guzzle rum with them, records state.

Police found the white van the attackers drove off in. Both doors had blood spatters, and one door handle was flecked with blood. The van had the word ``HOOLIGANS'' written on its side, records state.